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Historic Barracks, first buildings slated for removal rendered unusable, but still standing 0

Building 55, one of the structures earmarked for demolition, is cordoned off with fencing at Wolseley Barracks last July. Today, a year after the military confirmed plans to level or sell eight buildings on the Oxford St. E. site, the first to go remains shuttered, but still standing. (Free Press File photo)

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A year after the Canadian military confirmed plans to get rid of eight buildings at London’s historic Wolseley Barracks, the first to go remains shuttered, but still up.

“It seems at a ridiculous standstill,” said New Democrat MP Irene Mathyssen, whose London-Fanshawe riding includes the barracks. “There is a lack of planning, an inability to think things through.”

A year ago, military brass confirmed its little-known plans to demolish or divest several buildings at the historic barracks site on Oxford St. E.

The first three buildings — two barracks and an office — were supposed to be demolished last summer at a cost of $249,000.

But asbestos was found in the walls of all three buildings and demolition stopped Oct. 3, forcing the government and the contractor to renegotiate a revised and likely more costly deal.

The military didn’t confirm that until two months later.

A military spokesperson reached recently couldn’t provide an update on the negotiations or demolition. The original plan didn’t specify time frames for each demolition, but the final phase of three was supposed to start in 2015.

“They got the buildings to the point where we can’t use them, then stopped,” said one frequent barracks user, who asked to remain anonymous.

Army personnel at the barracks are wondering how well the military will maintain the other five buildings set for demolition in phases two and three, also delayed, he said. “Everything has stopped. There is no activity.”

The demolition has been fraught with controversy.

Few city leaders knew the military decision was coming. Soldiers say the buildings are needed for effective operations in London. At least one structure on the chopping block is considered a national heritage building.

Making matters worse, it turns out army brass spent almost $300,000 during four years to renovate and repair three of the buildings, even as they were doing the study that led to the demolition plan.

The army argues that savings in operating costs, about $13 million during 20 years, will more than make up for fixing up the buildings about to be torn down.

The army will continue to have a strong presence in London at the barracks, brass say.

But Mathyssen said the mishandled demolition is a bad sign for the shrinking military presence in London.

“The long-term concern is if you render a property dysfunctional, then how do you come back from that? In terms of the London economy, the barracks is an important entity. It’s an historic entity.”